The Epic Story of Perseus Explained

The story of Perseus is one of the most famous in Greek Mythology, with his adventures across Ancient Greece making him one of the original Heroes, a time long before the Trojan War and the birth of Hercules.

The son of Zeus and Danaë, Perseus would defeat the Gorgon Medusa, with her head able to turn any man to stone, a weapon that aided him on his travels. On his way back home from Medusa’s cave, Perseus would rescue the beautiful Andromeda from the sea monster Cetus with the two soon becoming husband and wife.

As the years went on and the pair looked to start their own family, they would head out of Argos and found their own kingdom called Mycenae, which would become the most powerful city in Greece.

Ruling over the city, Perseus and Andromeda would have many children together, with their family's reign lasting for generations to come. But unknown to them, one of their descendants would become the most famous Hero of them all.

For the son of Zeus and Alcmene, would be the great hero Hercules, whose famous 12 labours would echo throughout every corner of the world.

Timestamps 📽
Intro: 0:00
The Prophecy 0:12
A New Land 2:20
Medusa 3:50
The Graeae 6:00
The Gorgon's Head 7:46
Andromeda 8:49
The Prophecy Fulfilled 10:41
A New Life 13:32

📚 Sources:

Classical Mythology, by Mark Morford, Robert Lenardon and Michael Sham

Greek Mythology, by Katerina Servi

Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, by Edith Hamilton

Apollodorus - The Library of Greek Mythology, translated by Robin Hard

READ MORE: The Greek Gods Explained In Only 12 Minutes.